Having a problem stopping yourself from turning into the Hulk every time something wrong happens and gets the best of you? Don't worry – you are not alone.
The Bible describes some of the famous men of God as having short fuses. The apostle Paul, famously known for his missionary journeys, was no push over. Even the meekest person in the Old Testament, Moses, blew his cool and slapped a rock with his staff, disobeying the Lord. Still, God loved them and used them mightily.
If you're thinking that your temper is something that needs to be tempered, the Bible has some encouragement and instruction for you. Here are five faith-filled thoughts you need to dwell on to help tame that temper.
1) "It's OK to be angry. It's not OK to commit sin."
You might have exaggerated Christianity to mean having a ultra-gentle personality that never gets angry. You're wrong. All of us will get angry for some reason at some point, so Ephesians 4:26-27 gives us a clear instruction that if we're angry, we should not sin and allow the devil a foothold in our lives. Jesus also makes clear that there are occasions when anger is called for i.e. in the face of sin, such as when he cleared out the temple of livestock and money changers. But we shouldn't confuse that with a free license to unnecessarily wound the people in our lives, causing them to keep their distance because they're not sure we can be trusted. Think: is a show of anger really necessary right now and is it the best way to deal with this situation?
2) "The enemy is not flesh and blood."
It's really tempting to get mad at that person who hurt you, but don't. Your real enemy is the unseen forces that are at work to derail you from pursuing the Lord (see Eph. 6:12). Instead of holding a grudge against the person who hurt you, realise that something else is merely taunting you to destroy your testimony. Always be clear who your real enemy is.
3) "God was patient with me."
Whenever you're tempted to sulk or lash out your anger towards an offender, remember that God was patient with you because He loved you. He withheld His wrath and instead sent His Son to receive the punishment for our sin. It was God's kindness that led you to repentance (see Romans 2:4).
4) "Jesus forgave me on the cross."
After the beating, ridicule and mockery that He went through, Jesus was finally nailed to the cross. Still, the Lord of Glory chose to forgive instead of condemning us to hell. If Jesus could show that kind of forbearance in the face of terrible injustice, with his power in you, so can you.
"Jesus said, 'Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing'" (Luke 23:34).
5) "I am Christ's ambassador into the world."
As a Christian, we represent Christ on earth. In the same way that Christ Jesus showed the Father to His disciples (see John 14:8-9), we show Christ to our families, friends, churchmates, acquaintances, and even those who we don't know, through our actions and words. If they associate you with anger or a bad temper, chances are you are displaying anger more than you should.
